Mere Christianity

Probably most of you are familiar with C.S. Lewis’ works, especially if your children’s required reading included ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, but Lewis wrote a host of other books, a large number of them dealing with his road to Christianity. He was a skeptic (I guess that means an atheist) and turned to faith.

I started reading ‘Mere Christianity’ this weekend. I had read parts of it before and I was reminded once again what a wonderful writer and timeless thinker Lewis was.

For an academic, which Lewis surely was, he writes about the things that all humans wonder about and in a way that makes it possible for all of us humans to understand.

Soon Pineknot Farm and Lab will begin the summer Bookmobile runs. But in the meantime, pick up one of Lewis’ books. You can get this book online here or you can listen to this book. Read it outloud to your children or to your husband. One of the joys in life is to have someone read to you. Try it!! Turn off the tv one night and read together!

To give you a taste, here is Lewis’ words on ‘denominational differences’ in other words, should you be a Baptist or an Anglican or a Catholic.. you get the idea… doesn’t it just make you want to read more?!?

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I hope no reader will suppose that “mere” Christianity is here put
forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions-as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else. It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and
chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable.
It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.
In plain language, the question should never be: “Do I like that kind of service?” but “Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?”
When you have reached your own room, be kind to those Who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house.

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2 Comments

Theresasaid:

April 25, 2011 at 1:08 pm

Amazing. Another perspective..I love the analogy….I’ve got it ordered and look forward to reading it!

Betty Siefertsaid:

April 25, 2011 at 1:14 pm

Finally found “my door”. Can’t tell you how my faith and my church has helped me. I was sitting in church Good Friday, about to take communion when the lights went out and the tornado hit very close to us. We were locked in awhile because of the emergency crews and debris on the highways. We did finish our service with communion and song and I felt nothing but calm…couldn’t have been at a better place. There is a lot of destruction in north county, but Florissant was not involved.